History Jokes: Crusade of St. Louis — Teaching by the signs

Funny anecdotes and short stories are a great source of examples in public speeches. This website contains short funny stories, clean jokes and humorous legends of kings and queens, politicians, famous literary figures and artists from many books and sources. The styles of writers from different time periods was preserved - they often enhance the stories in an amusing way. Enjoy and have fun!

Joinville, in his Memoirs of St. Louis, tells us of awoman who, in the crusade headed by that king, wasseen carrying in her right hand a porringer of fire,and in her left a bottle of water. With the fire,Joinville says, she wished to burn paradise, with thewater to drown hell, so that none might do good forthe reward of the one, nor avoid evil from fear of theother, since every good ought to be done from theperfect and sincere love which man owes to hisCreator, who is the supreme good.

WHEN some Arcadian deserters asked to be admitted into the service of the Persian king,Xerxes asked them what the Greeks were doing. Theanswer was that they were keeping the great feast ofOlympia, and beholding the contests of wrestlers andhorsemen. On hearing this, a Persian asked what theprize might be for which they strove, and was toldthat it was an olive wreath. 'Ah, Mardonius,'exclaimed one of the satraps who were standing by, 'what men are these against whom you have broughtus here to fight, who strive not for money, but forglory?'